Irresistible
by iloveobiwanmore
Summary: PG13 for now, I may change the rating later on. During his stay in Ellesmera, Eragon meets an elf that he just can't seem to get out of his mind. Chap 8 Up!
1. Chapter 1

AN: My first attempt at an Eragon fic. It's also on another site, where so far I have 97 reviews for it.

Disclaimer: I no own.

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Chapter 1

Du Weldenvarden

"Damn it, Arya! When are we going to get there? We've been in the desert for at least a week, and all this sand is beginning to irritate me." Eragon brushed the sand from his hair as they made camp.

"Patience is a virtue, Shur'tugal." He sighed. Noticing his irritaion, Saphira chimed in.

_I saw the forest as I was flying, little one. We will be there tomorrow._ She assured him.

_We'd better,_ he said.

Sure enough, the next night they camped at the forest's edge. Eragon liked the change of scenery and it obviously affected his mood. He was much cheerier that night.

"Would you like to spar?" Eragon turned his attention from the looming trees to the elf maiden that accompanied him. Arya's sword was unsheathed and she ran her finger over the edge.

"Sure." 'I haven't truely sparred since Brom died,' he thought grimly. He hoped that he hadn't forgotten his best moves over the week in the Hadarac.

That night, Eragon found sleep difficult to find. Whether it was from the battering he had taken or just anticipation, he did not know. Arya, however, seemed to be having a lovely dream.

Giving up, he got off the bedroll and clammered over to the extinguished fire.

"Brisingr." He muttered it to keep from waking the sleeping elf. Of course, he didn't know if she was indeed alseep or just pretending, for all elves slept with their eyes open.

_What is wrong, little one_

_Nothing, Saphira. Go back to sleep._ His denial was quite obvious and she seemed to notice.

_It is not nothing. Tell me what is wrong. _Concern washed over him and he took a deep breath.

_I just can't sleep. I'm too excited to see all of the elves. We've come so far since Carvahall. _

_Are you sure that's it? Maybe it's just all the bruises._ She laughed inwardly.

_That's just part of it. Most is anticipation for tomorrow._ He admitted. He yawned and blinked a few times.

_Rest. Tomorrow is a big day. I'm sure the elves won't be impressed by a worn out Dragon Rider. _

_Night, Saphira. _

_Good night, little one. _

When he awoke the next morning, Arya was looking at a map or Du Weldenvarden and Saphira was nowhere to be found.

"Morning." He grumbled as he pulled a peice of bread out of his pack.

"Oh, you're awake." She said, still concentrating on the map. Eragon bit into the bread, which was a tad bit on the stale side.

"I figure that sometime around noon, we will be stopped by the Guardians and escorted the rest of the way. Tell Saphira that so she doesn't attack. It would not be wise for her to mistake them for enemies."

"Sure. By any chance, do you know where she went?"

"No." She was still enveloped in studying the map. She furrowed her brow and concentrated harder, muttering something to herself.

"Great." _Saphira! Land at camp, I need to tell you something._ A dim acknoledgement reached his mind and he broke the contact. Wherever she was, it wasn't close.

About 25 minutes later, she landed with a loud thump and walked towards Eragon.

_Yes, little one._ Her mind brushed against his.

_Where were you?_

_Hunting. I couldn't find prey for awhile, but I eventually found a rather large buck. He was very resiliant at first, kicking in my mouth, but he gave in after awhile and died. _

_Lovely._ He grimaced at the thought._ Arya told me that later on, we may be stopped by some Gaurdian people and for you not to attack. We don't want to upset the Queen. I will tell you if they are enemies. _

_All right, if you insist. _She broke the contact.

"I told her. She won't attack unless I tell her to." Arya nodded and rolled the map up.

They packed the horses and watched as Saphira took off. The forest was so dense that they had to lead the horses on foot. They walked for who knows how long until Eragon felt a blade against his throat.

"Who are you?" A dignified voice came from beside him. He looked to determine the owner of the blade. The blade belonged to a elf maiden. She pressed the blade harder against his throat.

"I said, who are you?"

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AN: Only update with reviews. 


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thanks to Vulpix4Life and citypigeon for the reviews! By the way, when you review, please do not review my plotline. I personally think that I have wonderful ideas and it drives me up the wall when people review plotlines.

Vulpix4Life: I hadn't read it thoroughly enough when I first began writing this, but I finished it for a second time about half way through. I love constructive criticism, so please, be as mean as you have to! Just don't review my plotline. Everything else is fine. Tell me if I get them out of character, which I don't really do too often.

citypigeon: I posted this on the site before. There I am nearly half way through.

Disclaimer: I dont own it.

Chapter 2

A Powerful New Friend

"I said, who are you?" Her cerulean eyes burned with an intensity Eragon had never seen.

"Eka ai fricai un Shur'tugal." He spoke in the ancient language so that she would know he wasn't lying.

"I meant your name, but I guess the Queen will find that out herself." She lowered her thin elven blade from Eragon's throat. "Where is your dragon?"

"Flying."

"Tell her to meet us in a clearing that is a league from here."

i Saphira/i

i Yes, little one/i

i There is a clearing one league from where we are. Meet us there. /i

i I will be there. /i

"She will be there."

"Then let us meet her." The elf turned away and told Arya something Eragon couldn't understand. He did know that it was something she didn't want to hear, for her face went grim.

Two elves behind them nudged their backs with their sword points to make them walk.

"What did she say to you?" He whispered to Arya.

"It's personal." He knew not to dig any further.

"So, do you know her?" Arya looked Eragon in the eye.

"Her name is Aiedail. She is my sister."

"Your sister?" Eragon didn't even know she had a sister. Arya just nodded. Apparently, she didn't want anyone to know about her sister. He didn't dwell on reasons as to why that was, for almost immediately he heard a loud roar. He looked up to see Saphira swinging her tail high in the air, then at Aiedail. What would have hit any mortal being was easily dodged by the elf as she leapt into the air and aimed her right palm at Saphira.

"Slytha!" There was a flash of light and Saphira collapsed to the forest floor, snoring loudly. When he turned his attention back to Aiedail, her eyes were a dark blue, pratically black,and seemed to be glowing. Her hair was blowing behind her, though the trees blocked even a small breeze. A small necklace on her neck was glowing with a pink and white light. When the light subsided, her hair went still and her eyes returned to normal.

Eragon looked around to see the other elves' reactions. Their faces almost as awestruck as his, but they quickly recovered and returned to keeping an eye on Arya and Eragon. Arya seemed unfazed by the event, not even the slightest bit. Aiedail started to walk back towards them. When she reached the group, she stopped and stared into Eragon's eyes. Her face was calm, quiet. She showed no emotion.

"Next time your dragon plans on attacking me, you would be wise to stop her. I don't want to have to do that again." Her voice was quick to betray her calm exterior. Inside, she was as frightened as he was. He became aware of Saphira stirring in the background and reached for her mind. He was overwhelmed with a tiring feeling almost immediately.

i Don't attack her again. I fear she could easily kill you on accident. /i Her surprise reached him.

i What do you mean/i

i I'll tell you later. Just don't attack. /i

i As you wish. /i

"Now, I don't want to have to drag your dragon the entire way. Will she cooperate?" Aiedail's voice was a lot calmer than before.

"We can go." Eragon was full of questions. Like what was that necklace she wore around her neck and what powers did it hold? He held his tongue. He could ask Arya later. Now, all he wanted to do was meet the Queen.

They continued down a much wider path this time, large enough even for Saphira to stretch out her wings. The clearing must have been where Riders would land when visiting the city and the path so that they could easily access it. The path had many twists and turns. Anyone could have gotten lost, but Aiedail led them like she was looking at a map. She never hesitated to go one way.

"Do you know where you're going?" Eragon didn't want to get lost.

"After three hundred and thirty-two years, I think I know how to get home."

i Saphira, did you hear that? She's three hundred and thirty-two years old! She doesn't look a day over seventeen. /i

i She's an elf, Eragon. Elves are immortal, they do not age. At least, not like you do. /i

i Oh, right. /i Eragon was still shocked that she was 332.

As they continued walking, they passed through a large gate. It was metal, though it looked more like ivy. Almost immediately, the elves accompanying them became more at ease than when they were in the forest. Noticing his confused expression, Arya leaned towards him.

"The power of my people will protect us now." She whispered in his ear.

"So you mean we're there?"

"No, but almost."

After walking almost another half-mile, the elf men who were following them broke off and walked towards a few trees that were almost a kilometer high.

"Where are they going?"

"Home." Aiedail answered without turning around. Eragon watched one long enough to see him open a door at the base of one tree and walk inside.

i Look up. /i Saphira told him wit her mind. He looked up to see houses protruding from the trunks. It was amazing.

"Wow." That was all he managed to say. Aiedail turned around.

"Come. I'll take you to the Queen."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thanks for the review! I started to make up my own Elvish words in this chapter, because I had too. Please don't be mad about the words. Oh, and if you see strangly placed i's, the site that I had it on only took HTML codes, so that's what they used to be. I'll try my best to catch them all, but I can't catch them all.

Bella: I know it comes out late August in the U.S., but I'm not quite sure about Australia. Have you checked the official Inheritance website? is the site. I think they may have all the dates.

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

Chapter 3

1359 Steps

Eragon followed Arya and Aiedail down a path towards by far the biggest tree in the forest. It had a giant green door decorated with leaves, dragons, and various other things. Two guards, both identical in looks and posture, were standing on either side of the door, spears in their right hands. They wore beautifully decorated helms on the crown of their heads and stood like statues.

Aiedail walked up to the door, which had no knob, and used her index finger to write an invisible word in the middle. The door split into two and opened, revealing a large throne room. There, sitting on a throne of leaves, was Queen Izlanzadi, queen of the elves. Handmaidens stood behind the throne, nine in total. They each had the same blonde hair and white gown.

"Greetings, young Rider, and welcome to Ellesmera. You are the first of your kind to set foot in my throne room for quite some time." Her voice was dignified and noble, and as she spoke, her words echoed through the enormous room. The ceiling was high, though not as high as Tronjheim, and arched like a cathedrals.

"Your majesty." Eragon bowed as to not offend the powerful woman.

"Shur'tugal, tell me your name." She had brilliant emerald eyes and raven hair like Arya's.

"My name is Eragon, though I have yet to find my true name." He felt his face become flushed and he hoped that she did not notice.

"Ah, you are named for the first rider. A noble name, indeed. And what of your dragon?"

"Saphira." Izlanzadi appeared suprised by the name.

"That name once belonged to a dear friend's dragon. Why does he not travel with you?"

"Brom is dead." The Queen's eyes filled with sadness and tears came to them.

"I'm afraid I must retire, but I do wish to hear the entire story. How about over dinner tomorrow, to celebrate your arrival?"

"Dinner would be nice, thank you." The Queen got up off the throne and the leaves collapsed into a litter on the earthen floor. With a nod, she turned and headed towards a door in the back corner of the room. As soon as the door shut behind Izlanzadi, Aiedail turned and rushed to Eragon.

"Brom is dead? When did this happen?" With her this close, he could study the necklace a little more. It was the same symbol Arya had on her shoulder and on Brom's ring. Embedded into the sterling silver was four white diamonds and four pink ones. It was gorgeous, but he wondered how it held so much power.

"A few months ago."_ Saphira, do you see Aiedail's necklace? Do you know what it means?_

_No, little one, I am afraid I do not. Perhaps you could ask her or Arya. They might hold the answer. _

_Tomorrow. For now, let's get some sleep. _

"Hmm, curious." Aiedail looked extremely confused and furrowed her brow. Then she returned to the normal, expressionless composure. "Well, let us find you a place to sleep. I do believe the Dragon Hold is still intact, so let us check there before running all over Ellesmera."

As it turned out, the Dragon Hold was intact, at least intact enough for Saphira. When it came to housing for Eragon, though, things were different. After getting Saphira settled in, they had walked all around the various rooms, but not one was actually clean enough. After looking in the last room, Aiedail sighed.

"I guess the Dragon Hold is out of the picture for you." She pinched the bridge of her nose with an index and middle finger. She closed her eyes and just sat there with her right elbow on her left wrist as it wrapped around her torso.

"Why doesn't he stay with us? We have more than enough room without Ada and Rimo."

"Who's Ada and Rimo?" Eragon had never heard names like those before.

"Ada is the word for father and Rimo is mother." Aiedail muttered, her eyes still closed. "I guess it wouldn't hurt. We had room before, and with them gone now, we have even more room." She sighed sadly.

"Well, get a move on then. I'm tired, srysa." Arya clapped her hands together and smiled wide.

"Come on." Aiedail didn't seem as cheery.

_Where are you staying, little one?_

_At Arya and Aiedail's house. At least, until I find somewhere else._

_It's not far, is it?_

_I don't know, let me ask. _

"Is your home far from the Dragon Hold?"

"No, not at all." Arya still had the same smile and her voice was filled with cheer.

Eragon relayed the answer to Saphira and told her good night. Arya's tree-home was indeed not far at all. Soon it was in sight and Aiedail opened the door, revealing a winding staircase in the hollow trunk.

"How many steps are there?" The stair seemed to go on forever.

"Oh, I don't know. Aiedail, how many steps are there?"

"One thousand, three hundred and fifty-nine." She commenced to climb the enormous stair at a brisk pace.

"Great." Eragon mumbled.

After the first five hundred, he was just about ready to collapse of exhaustion, and he still had eight hundred to go. He didn't even notice when they made it to the top. It wasn't until Arya distracted him he even knew he had stopped.

"Uh, Eragon? Are you alright?" Her enchanting voice brought him back to an aching reality.

"Aside from sore feet? Yeah, I think." He yawned loudly, barely managing to cover his mouth. Arya chuckled and wrapped her arm around his shoulder.

"Let's get you to bed, big boy." _Is she hitting on me? No, I must be too tired._

She led him into a nice room with a twin bed in the corner. After getting him settled, she leaned her head on the doorframe and watched him fall asleep. The next morning, he would begin training and he needed all the sleep he could get.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I combined 2 chapters once again to make a long one, since I won't be able to update until...Friday. Ooo, I hate my mom sometimes.

soul-wraith: Yes, people probably don't use the phrase "Is she hitting on me?" in Alagaesia, but it was the first thing that popped to mind. Thank you for the great review, I would love it if Christopher read it, but unfortunately, I don't think he has the time with Eldest's release so close. I'm glad you liked it.

Chapter 4

Suicide

Eragon awoke to a small ray of light shining through the green lace curtains that hung over the window. He became immediately aware of how sore his feet were. He remembered all those steps he had climbed and grimaced. Then he remembered Arya watching him as he drifted into a land only his mind could create.

He sat up and let his feet dangle over the side of the bed. He rubbed his face with his hands and yawned. When his eyes reopened, he saw Arya standing in the doorway, staring at him. Her arms were folded over her chest and she was wearing a long, green silk dress and a necklace with a lone emerald. Her hair was curly, though not really, really curly, and she was smiling.

"Good morning, Shadeslayer. How did you sleep?" Her voice was absolutely mesmerizing.

"Fine, thanks." He knew he wasn't wearing a shirt, but he wasn't aware of the effect that was having on the elf standing before him.

"I came to tell you that breakfast is ready." Eragon nodded and watched as she left the doorway and disappeared into the hallway. He pulled on a thin tunic that was practically see-through and set off for the kitchen.

Arya was sitting at the table, with a plate of food in front of her. Another plate was on the table, and Eragon sat down in the chair beside it. He immediately started eating it, for he was very hungry. They talked quietly while eating and didn't notice Aiedail walk into the room.

"Good morning, Aiedail." Eragon looked up and what he saw stunned him. Aiedail was wearing a dress, and she looked gorgeous in it. The dress was simple, just plain lavender silk, and was off a basic design, but gods! She looked stunning. Her ebony hair was loose and fell down to her mid back. The necklace was clearly visible with the dresses low neckline.

"Morning." He barely managed to whisper it. He lifted the fork and put the food in his mouth, chewing it slowly.

"Morning." Aiedail sounded very sad. Her eyes reflected it, too. They were mournful. She took a glass and filled it with water. Then she walked through a door that led outside. Eragon watched as she walked to the end of a thick branch and sat down on the end. She put her head in between her knees and shook. She was crying.

Eragon found himself getting up from the table and out the very same door. He had a harder time getting out onto the branch, but managed pretty well for a human. He sat down next to her and put his wrists on his knees.

"Hey, are you alright?" He was really worried. Eragon had never seen an elf cry, so up until now, he had thought they had hearts of steel.

"I'm fine." She lifted her head up and a single tear was running down her cheek. They hadn't known each other long, not even a day, but he felt the need to make sure she was alright. They had a bond that had formed so fast, neither of them could stop it. Maybe it happened while she was holding the sword to his throat.

"It doesn't look like that to me." He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer him. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but I want to hear it." She scoffed.

"Why would you care, I'm just your girlfriend's sister."

"Girlfriend! Arya's **not **my girlfriend." She remained quiet. "You know what. You don't have to talk. I'll do all the talking, enough for both of us. Now, how about I start with where I grew up."

Eragon told her about how his mother had left him with his aunt and uncle, and how Garrow had been killed by the Ra'zac. He told her about finding Saphira's egg, Brom dying, and finding the Varden. It took nearly an hour, but he got it all out.

"And now I'm here, sitting on this branch with probably the most intriguing elf I'll ever have the privilege of meeting." They sat there for another five minutes, in silence. Then, Aiedail broke it.

"You know, my parents are dead. They died looking for Arya after she disappeared." She took a deep breath. "And you know what the worst thing is? Arya doesn't even care! She hasn't visited their grave, even shed a single tear, and she knew them for a hell of a lot longer than I did. I doubt she even loved them."

"Of course she did. People just deal with loss differently. It's the way we are." Aiedail nodded and stared out through the leaves of the tree. Then she turned her head and her deep blue eyes locked with Eragon's. Then she smiled.

"You know, young Shur'tugal, you are far wiser than anyone I've ever met." Then her face saddened. "Well, except Brom. But he lives on in you. I see it."

"Why don't you call me Eragon? I like that a lot better." She giggled and shook her head.

"Sure, whatever. It doesn't matter to me. You're still the same scruffy thug I found in the forest."

"Scruffy thug!" Eragon shoved her shoulder playfully, laughing.

"Hey, Eragon! You're going to be late for your lessons!" Arya shouted from behind them.

"Yeah, I'm coming!" He got up, then helped Aiedail up. Together, they walked back into the tree-home.

Later on in the day, Eragon was training vigorously in sword fighting and was told someone else would train him in the Ancient Language. They wouldn't tell him who it was, just that it was someone he knew.

_Who do you think it will be, little one._ Saphira was communicating him on his way to the clearing.

_I think it may be Arya. She's been all over me since we got here, maybe it was so that we would become close enough to where I wouldn't treat her like a teacher. Anyways, the clearing is about 450 feet from where I am, so land in the nearest opening there. I'll see you when I find it._ He felt her land with a thump and felt surprise wash over him.

_I hope you find it soon. You might be surprised with who your teacher is. /_She broke the mental connection before he could ask her who it was.

He frantically stumbled through the dense forest until he saw some light coming from ahead. Then it became more defined and he could make out grass, a woman, and Saphira. _So it is Arya. _

However, the closer he got, the more the elf didn't resemble Arya. The closer he got, the more it looked like…Aiedail. He broke through the last of the trees and felt the sunlight wash over his body.

"If you were any later, I fear I might have fallen asleep. Really, for a Rider, you sure do walk slowly." Her brilliant blue eyes were gleaming and her dark hair was in a bun. She was wearing traditional training clothes, the black leather.

"Cute. So, where do we start?"

She lifted one carefully sculpted eyebrow. "Well, let's find out your knowledge of the language. I'll put you through some tests and see how you do and with how much difficulty. After that, I'll teach you some new words and show you what they do."

The next hour went by quick enough. It was nothing like the test the Twins had given him. She made him perform complicated tasks with a stone, like making designs and whatnot. In the end, he was sweaty and tired. He went to sit down by Saphira, but Aiedail stopped him.

"Whoa, what do you think you're doing?"

"Resting."

"Oh no, you don't, tough guy. I've got to teach you something too." Eragon groaned loudly in protest and Aiedail giggled. It made his heart fill with joy. He managed to force himself up and walk to the center of the clearing.

"Why are you doing this to me? Why can't I just rest for five minutes?"

"You can't rest."

"But why are you doing this?" She gave him a sly smile and put her mouth up to his ear.

"Wiol pomnuria ilian." She whispered it to him and he had never been so turned on. When she pulled away, Eragon could hardly keep from racing up to grab hold of her and devour her mouth with his. Unfortunately, his teenage hormones grabbed hold of him and he failed his one attempt to control himself.

Eragon grabbed her elbow, swung her around into his arms, and passionately kissed her.

_Eragon, she's an elf, not to mention the Queen's neice. Don't do this. _

He pulled away grudgingly and took a step away from her. That's right. She was an elf. He watched her as she stood there, confused.

"I…I'm sorry. I don't know what I was doing." Aiedail looked hurt by his comment and furthered the distance between them.

"Of course. I'm so silly sometimes, thinking that someone has actually fallen in love with me and then they turn around and tell me it's over." She was choking back tears, not wanting to break down in front of him. He opened his mouth to tell her it was him, not her, but she cut him off.

"No, no. Really, I'll be fine. No one could ever love me, and now I realize it to be true." Then she ran off into the forest.

"Aiedail!" He called for her to come back, but if she could even hear him, she ignored him.

_Eragon… _

_Shut up._ His words were poison to Saphira and she was immediately taken aback. He had never been so nasty to her. She watched as Eragon bounded into the forest after the cursed elf-woman, and then she sat there, alone. Just like when she was a hatchling.

_Aiedail awoke in bed to an absence of weight beside. She looked up and saw a handsome elf sitting in a chair in the corner, watching her with his elbows on his knees. She desperately looked into his eyes, searching for an answer to quench her curiosity. All she saw was emptiness._

_"What's wrong, Nimial?" He just stared at her. He was scaring her. "You're scaring me." Her voice was quivering. She propped herself up on her elbow. Aiedail had never seen him like this, not in the quick six months that she had fallen in love with him._

_"Aiedail…"He stopped himself and took a deep breath. "We're too different." He was breaking up with her._

_"But that's why we're so perfect." Tears were forming in her eyes, but she held them back._

_"You're only 58. I'm 250. It'll never work. I'm sorry." Nimial got up from his seat and walked towards the bed. After placing a soft kiss on her forehead, he strode to the door, only pausing briefly before opening it._

_"I love you, Nimial, please! I beg you, don't leave me like this!" Tears were flowing freely now, for she had no desire to hold them back._

_"I'm sorry, Aiedail, but I have to. I have to end it now." He shut the door as he left. _

Today's events brought back memories that had long been forgotten. Aiedail ran through the forest with such grace, bounding around trees and other obstacles. She became aware of Eragon calling her name, but she no longer wished to hear a sorry for not being able to love her. She had heard too many of them in her lifetime. No, never again. She would end it tonight. Never again would she hear a sorry.

_100 years after that terrible morning, Aiedail had found another to give her love to. He was handsome, gifted, and more importantly, had a great personality. His name was Ilion. It had been 1 year to the day since they first met, and now they were going to the Hvitr Ball. Ilion had been acting a little funny lately, distancing himself, but Aiedail had paid no attention to it. She had found a beautiful dress to wear and knew that he would be stunned that she was actually wearing a dress. Now all she had to do was wait for him to come pick her up._

_She probably waited for thirty minutes before she heard him knock. Aiedail ran to the door and flung it open. There stood Ilion, not dressed in his tuxedo, fidgeting with his hands. He b never /b fidgeted with his hands._

_"Aiedail, I need to break this off." Aiedail stood there, stunned._

_"Why?" They had a great relationship, why would they need to end it._

_"I'm sorry, I should have told you from the beginning, but I can't love you. Goodbye." Ilion walked away and she shut the door. She sank down on the floor with her back against the door and cried. _

Aiedail ran to another clearing and stopped. She pulled her necklace off and set it on a rock. She picked up another rock and held it above the beautiful pendant.

_Since Ilion, she had her fair share of lovers, though she hadn't truly loved any of them as she had Ilion and Nimial. Now she was seeing Faolin. She loved him more than she could possibly say, and as far as she knew, he loved her that way too. At that moment, he was escorting Arya as she transported the dragon egg. But they had been missing for a few days now, and all Aiedail could do was hope and pray to the gods._

_She was sitting on a trunk in the forest when she heard the soft pitter-patter of feet behind her. Aiedail turned around, hoping it would be her beloved Faolin, and saw a lean boy. Trying not to act disappointed, she smiled shyly._

_"Some scouts found Faolin and Glenwing, but not Arya."_

_Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. They had found Faolin. "Where is he?" She tried not to sound desperate, but to no avail._

_"In the infirmary. Glenwing is dead and Faolin is barely alive, but the healers are working on him right now."_

_Aiedail took off in the direction of the infirmary before the boy even finished his sentence._

_She burst through the doors despite the warnings from the healers. The Queen, some soldiers, and Faolin's family stood over the bed, where Faolin lay with a white blanket over his head. The Queen turned around and walked up to a shocked Aiedail. She put her hands on Aiedail's shoulders and looked her square in the eye._

_"I'm so sorry, they did all they could do."_

_"No…" She whispered it as if it would wake Faolin up if she spoke too loud. She didn't want to believe it, but deep in her heart, something told her it was true. Then thoughts of Arya jumped into her mind. What if her sister was dead too? How would she go on? She didn't know how much more loss she could take. _

But Faolin wasn't like Eragon. It was different. She _knew _she couldn't go on without him, and she didn't plan on it either. No, she had had enough of rejections, more than she cared to have, but as she held the rock over the pendant, a small voice, weak but still existent, told her to put the stone down and live.

_You don't want to do this. Put the stone down and continue on with your life._ It said.

She wanted to listen to it, but she still held the stone high in the air, in a plunging position. Then she threw the stone down towards the pendant and everything went black.

Eragon desperately ran through the forest, calling out Aiedail's name, begging for her to not do anything hasty.

"Aiedail! Aiedail! Where are you?" He screamed at the top of his lungs as he slowed to a stop at the edge of a clearing. He saw Aiedail holding a rock over her necklace, which was laying neatly on a rock in front of her. Then, out of nowhere, she plunged the rock down on the pendant and collapsed limply on the soft green grass.

"Aiedail!" He ran towards her, though his body begged for him to stop. He held her in his arms and felt her neck for a pulse. Eragon felt a faint throbbing under his two fingers and mentally contacted Saphira.

_Saphira! Come here now, Aiedail's hurt._ He sent her a mental picture of the clearing and soon he felt her land behind him. He gentily picked up the untouched pendant and ran over to his dragon's side.

After situating Aiedail in the saddle, he climbed on behind her and told Saphira to take off. Aiedail's life was in his hands, and he had been the one to hurt her. He held the necklace in his hand, grasping the saddle with the other. He would arrive in Ellesmera by nightfall, though not in time to make the Queen's dinner.

Saphira landed with a loud thump in front of the palace as the Izlanzadi walked out to greet them. Noticing her unconscious niece, she quickened her pace to run. She turned to one of her guards and said something, and then the guard sprinted off in the direction of the infirmary, the other following her to Saphira's side.

Eragon slid of her back, and then started to untie the straps from Aiedail's legs. He put his arm under her knees and set her softly on the ground. He put his ear over her mouth and felt a slight breath. It was small and almost nonexistent, but at least it was there. Just as the Queen reached her side, Eragon looked up to see a group of 15 healers rushing towards them. The Queen looked down upon her niece's face, then to where her necklace should be and panic struck her.

"Where is the Mithrandil?" Noticing his confused expression, she grabbed his shoulder. "Where is her necklace?"

Eragon opened up his hand to reveal the small pendant. The Queen hastily grabbed it and put it around her niece's neck. The crystal shone with a tiny light and the color started returning to Aiedail's face. Her breathe regulated itself and she was no longer cold. The crystal stopped glowing and Aiedail's eyes flickered open, revealing her beautiful blue eyes. She looked straight into Eragon's eyes, then fainted again.

"We will take her now." One of the healers motioned for the two in the back to bring the stretcher. Once she was loaded on it, they carried her away in the moonlight.

"Eragon, tell me everything." Izlanzadi motioned him inside her palace and they disappeared inside.

Eragon told her about how he had entered the clearing and she was holding a rock above the pendant, then threw it on the pendant, and how she had collapsed. In fact, he told her everything except how he had captured her in a fiery kiss and then pulled away because Saphira told him it was wrong. He felt that it was an unnecessary detail, at least for the moment being. The Queen looked upset about Aiedail's suicidal thoughts. She sat there, on her throne, for a minute, pondering as to why her niece would do such a heinous act.

"Excuse, your highness, if it wouldn't be too bold, what exactly is a Mithrandil?" He had remembered that that was what she had called Aiedail's necklace.

"_The_ Mithrandil is our most beloved star. Mithrandil means 'the Giver of Life'."

"So then, why does Aiedail carry it around on a chain?"

"She doesn't carry it, she carries its power. You see, when she was born, she was very frail and sick. She was going to die, so I had eight of the diamonds from the Mithrandil Shrine be put into silver in the shape of the star. We put it on her neck, and she immediately began to get better, though with a cost. If the necklace ever shatters, she will die. It also gives her a certain amount of power that no elf or mortal will ever again be able to harness. Now, since our dinner plans are utterly ruined, why don't you tell me about Brom. He was a dear friend of the elves, and it saddens me to hear that he has fallen."

Eragon told her about all the events leading up to his death, every last one. It was a long, tiring tale, and it left him short of breath. At the end, a healer walked into the throne room.

"Aiedail can see any visitors now. She is still unconscious, but she is stable." Eragon could hardly hide is excitement.

"She's going to live?"

"Yes." He rushed over to the female healer and grabbed her in a tight hug, then darted through the doors in the direction of the infirmary.

He stood in front of her door, pondering on what to do.

_Just go in already, little one._ Saphira's melodic voice rang through his head.

_I doubt she wants to see me, Saphira, especially since I made her like this._

_But you didn't put her in that bed, I did. I should have kept quiet._ He felt guilt come from the link.

_I'm sorry, Saphira. I didn't mean to be so harsh earlier. I was just upset._

_You have no reason to be sorry. It is I that should be apologizing. I guess I just let my fears get to me._

_You were afraid?_ Eragon was shocked. Saphira had never been scared of anything.

_Yes. I was afraid that with Aiedail in the picture, you would forget all about me. I guess my biggest fear is loneliness. _

Now Eragon felt guilty. All those times he had ignored her back in Carvahall, then they had always been together in Tronjheim and while crossing the Hadarac Desert, now he was beginning to ignore her because of his feelings.

_I am sorry for making Aiedail believe you didn't love her, I know you do. Next time, I will keep my jaws shut._

_Thank you, Saphira. That's means a lot to me._Then he added something to the end of it._ And next time, I will try to talk to you more often. _

As he broke the link, he felt her joy wash over him. Eragon took a deep breath and opened the door. Aiedail was lying in the bed, but she was wide-awake.

"Hey, you're awake!" Then he remembered the incident in the clearing and his happiness subsided. "Uh, about the clearing."

"Don't worry, Saphira told me what happen. I'm sorry I didn't let you explain. I just…had enough." She looked out the window at a chipmunk eating a walnut.

"What do you mean 'had enough'? Had enough of what?" Eragon was confused by what she had said.

"Rejection." She said flatly.

"Oh."

With nothing left to say, they just sat there in silence for the next few minutes. Aiedail seemed to be pondering something in her head while she fingered the Mithrandil on her neck. Then she bit her bottom lip indecisively.

"What are you thinking about?" His voice broke her concentration.

"Oh, just recent events." She was lying he could tell, but now was not the time to bring it up. "You know, between having flashbacks all day and trying to recover, I'm exhausted. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night." He nodded and shut the door on his way out.

On his way back to Aiedail's home, Arya caught up with him. She slowed to a walk beside him and put her arm in his.

"So, what have you been up to today?" She seemed rather perky.

"Aren't you a little happy? I mean, your sister just tried to commit suicide. Aren't you worried? Have you even seen her?" He ripped his arm from hers and turned to face her.

"Look, I have my own way of dealing with things. No, the truth is I haven't seen her yet, but I'm going to first thing in the morning." She sounded hurt almost.

"Damn it, Arya. Your sister is suicidal, and you're sitting here prancing around as if we've finally achieved world peace. What is your problem?" He was whispering to try to contain his anger.

"What's my problem? What's my problem! My problem is your acting like you love her!"

"I do love her!" He yelled this time. Arya was immediately taken aback by not only his tone but by what he said.

_He loves her. S_he thought with a twisted realization.

Eragon shook his head and waved his hand in the air as if to swat away a fly, then turned and ran the rest of the way home.

Sleep did not come easily for either of them that night. Eragon tossed and turned thinking about what he had said.

_"I do love her!"_

Did he really love her? The more he thought about it, the more he believed it. That's why he had kissed her. Not because he was turned on by what she had said, but because he had been wanting to from the moment she held that sword up to his throat and demanded to know his name.

Arya was having trouble for a different reason. Deep down, she had known he loved her sister, but to hear it from his own lips was different. His beautiful lips. She sighed and rolled over to face the door. She loved him, and all she asked for was to be loved in return. She had been told something wise once, by a Rider. She remembered his words clearly.

_"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return."_

That's all she wanted. Unconditional love. It sounded like a dream. A dream that would now never come true.

AN: Okay, that was really, really long. I gave you a lot to think about. I used some LOTR and some stuff from a movie called Moulin Rouge. Review and tell me what you think. I know some of it was confusing, but it's only because I combined like, 4 chapters. LOL.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Long overdue, but the wait is over!

Askura: Thanx! I laugh at my own stories sometimes too. Now you don't have to wait.

Vulpix4Life: Hm, I didn't think about how she would know. Elves are more perceptive, she may have been able to tell. When she said she would kill Saphira, she was speaking the truth. She could've accidentally killed her. You have to understand, Aiedail has about as much control over the necklace as a spider does over whether I kill it. It's unpredictable. She could say one thing but it could do something entirely different.

daydreamin' angel: I am really glad you like it, I've had people e-mail me trashing it and saying how I suck at having good plotlines. To tell you the truth, I get ideas from everything. This one I got when I was reading the translation section in the back of the book, and I saw Aiedail (The Morning Star) and it just sorta flashed in my mind. I got the idea for my book from a commercial, for some other fanfics I got it in my dreams. Ideas are everywhere if you are open to them. I wanted Aiedail to seem more human. It's a nice change from the noble, brave Arya to her sarcastic, self-concious sister.

Ok, story time!

Chapter 5

Wiol Ono

The next morning came slowly. There was a dense fog had rolled into Ellesmera over night, shrouding everything in a grey silhouette. Eragon awoke after only an hour's sleep. He would have to avoid Arya all day as best he could. He knew she was deeply upset by what he had said last night; he had been too, at first. He pulled on some clothes for the day and headed to the kitchen. He stood in front of the door, begging Arya was not behind it, before turning the knob.

Eragon was relieved to find that the room was empty. He didn't want to face her anytime soon.

_You're going to have to talk to her sooner or later, Eragon. You can't just ignore her for the rest of your life._ Saphira's voice chimed in his mind.

_I'm not going to ignore her. I'm just going to wait until tomorrow before confronting her. If you would have seen how hurt she was when I said I loved Aiedail, you would be avoiding her too._

_I did see her, through you. You'll have to face her eventually, and it would be better if not by surprise. _

_Yeah, yeah. I know._ He broke the contact. Saphira was right. It would be better for him to be prepared when facing Arya than to bump into her by surprise.

Eragon took a piece of bread from a plate and left the house. He had gotten used to all those stairs now, and it only took him 15 minutes to get up and down. He ran down, taking a bite from the Elvin bread every few minutes. He practically sprinted to the infirmary, pausing only when a dreadful cramp in his side made him stop, and then it was only for a minute.

He ran through the long halls of the infirmary, bumping into healers and patients alike, not bothering to say sorry. Eragon slowed down when he saw Aiedail's door. He smoothed out his clothes, and then opened the door. To his surprise, Aiedail was not in the bed. In fact, she was not even in the room. He rushed back out the door and found a healer.

"Do you know where Aiedail is?" His words were frantic.

"Yes, she was released into the Queen's care earlier this morning." The healer smiled sweetly.

"Thank you." He sighed with relief. He had thought the worst when he saw an empty bed.

Eragon was just on his way to the palace when he heard someone shouting behind him. It was Ira, one of his many teachers.

"Shur'tugal Eragon! Come! We must begin your lesson!"

_Oh yeah, that._ He thought curtly.

"Can't it wait?" He pleaded to the lean elf.

"No. If you plan on upholding the Riders' honor, you will come back with me."

Eragon sighed. He wanted to see Aiedail so badly, but he supposed it would have to wait until later that evening.

Ira was an excellent swordsman, who was skilled even beyond Arya, who had bested Eragon too many times than he could count. He could not have asked for a better teacher, and he was truly grateful to whoever had recommended him. They had just had a particularly tiring bout, and Eragon's dark hair was plastered to his brow. After sitting down, he looked up at his teacher, who was equally tired but not nearly as sweaty.

The elf pushed a loose strand of long blonde hair behind a pointed ear and sheathed his sword. His light blue eyes, which matched Aiedail's, stared back at Eragon.

"How did I do?" Eragon was quite curious to find out whether he had actually done well in Ira's eyes.

"Very well. Never have I seen a mortal move with such agility. I am surprised you managed to fend me off for that long, but you still have much to learn. That was but a small portion of what I can do, and the easy portion too. If I were to go full-swing, I doubt you would be able to hold me off for a few seconds." Ira was panting, but mainly because of how much he had jolted around, trying to find vulnerability in Eragon's defenses. "If you don't mind me asking, did your father teach you anything in swordsmanship, or did you learn it all from Brom?"

"I never knew my father, not even a name. My mother refused to tell anyone who the father was. Then she ran off right after my birth. Her name was Selena."

Ira's eyes widened and then he turned away, in deep thought. His eyes flashed from side to side, as if he was debating repeatedly a concept that seemed too impossible to believe. He finally pulled his wits about him, and then turned back to Eragon.

"And how long ago exactly did this happen?"

"About eighteen years ago, why? Did you know my mother?" Eragon was curious now.

"I knew your mother, but she ran away a little over eighteen years ago. I didn't know she was with child though." He continued to dwell upon his thoughts, seeming lost in a million possibilities.

Ira's POV

_Could he….? No, it is preposterous. Why would she leave if that were the case? But the dates fit, nearly perfectly. No, it cannot be. She would have told me. _

Back to normal

"Did you know my father?" Eragon was now even more curious. Maybe Ira knew who his father was, or better yet, whetherhe was still alive!

"No, she must have gotten pregnant after she left. When she left us, she was not with child." Noticing his disappointed look, Ira patted him comfortingly on the back. "I'm sorry; I know what it is like to not know your family. In fact, Selena was the closest thing I had to family, before she left." His voice trailed off as he was trying to choke back the tears in his blue eyes.

Eragon wanted to know what Ira's relationship with his mother had been, but he knew better than to ask the grieving man. Obviously, the disappearance of his Selena had caused the elf much strife. He would inquire about it later.

A/N: ALERT! Yes, Ira is a boy. It is a unisex name and I don't want to hear anything about him. I personally am very fond of him. For those of you that have seen Constantine, I liked Gabrielle too. Another chapter when I get 3 more reviews. THANK YOU!


	6. Chapter 6

AN: OK! OK! Sheesh calm down. I can only write so fast.

Yuyogopoopy: On the other site I have this on, they only take HTML codes. I try my best to change them all back to regular italics but sometimes I miss some. They represent thought speach between Eragon and Saphira or just plain thought.

Chapter 6

Wiol Ono, part 2

After another grueling match between them, Eragon was still full of questions for Ira, but decided that he would ask tomorrow during his lessons. He ran again to the palace, without stopping for lunch, and barged through the doors. To his surprise, only one of the handmaidens was in the throne room. When the doors slammed open, she shrieked with surprise and turned to see who the intruder was.

"Oh, goodness, you scared me." She gasped, clutching her chest.

"I'm sorry. Do you know where Aiedail is? The healers at the infirmary said that she was released into the Queen's care."

"Oh, last time I saw her, she was out in the garden. It's down that hall and to the left." She pointed in the direction of a long corridor.

"Thanks." He smiled then sprinted down the corridor.

Eragon opened the only door that was on the left, and what he saw awed him. The garden was absolutely gorgeous. Every flower was in a full blossom, fuller than he had ever seen in Carvahall. During the springtime, blossoms would grow to a beautiful size and stay in bloom for months in Carvahall, but here, when it was fall, the blossoms were beautiful and big, with every color of the rainbow. He wondered if they stayed like that year round.

He looked around the garden for any sign of Aiedail, with no luck. He could, however, hear the faint roar of a river, or stream, nearby. He walked in the direction of the constant noise and found that there was a small river that ran from a waterfall into a cave. A small bridge went across to an island where there was a pagoda. It was white with an ivy theme to it. There, sitting and reading a book, was Aiedail.

"Aiedail!" Eragon called out.

Aiedail looked up from her book and smiled when she saw him. She put a silk ribbon on her page and shut the book, setting it down beside her. She stood up.

"Hello there, Eragon."

He ran across the bridge and into the pagoda. Before she could react, he grabbed her into his arms and kissed her. At first, she did not respond, but then she kissed him back, putting one hand on the back of his neck to pull him closer. When they finally parted, both were panting from the long, passionate kiss. Her eyes searched his for something, but Eragon did not know what it was. When she finally looked down at her feet, he smiled and brought his mouth up to her ear.

"I love you." He whispered.

Aiedail looked back into his eyes, shocked that he had confessed his love. Then she pulled out of his arms and stepped back a foot. Eragon used this opportunity to take in her beauty, but when his eyes looked for the Mithrandil on her neck, he was surprised to find it not there.

"Your necklace?" He was still whispering.

Aiedail smiled and walked closer to him again, this time grabbing his hand and opening it, then placing something small and light in his hand. He looked down to see it the necklace lying in a pile on his hand. He looked up at her, almost begging to know an explanation.

"Wiol ono."

"I can't take this." He shook his head in disbelief. Why was she giving him her life source?

"You can. I'm giving it to you." She looked deeply into his eyes.

"Why?"

"Because I trust you more than I trust myself."

He knew she was lying. There was another reason, but he did not press the matter. He put the Mithrandil around his neck, prepared to guard it with his life. Aiedail went back to the bench where she had been reading and sat down.

"So, where is my sister?" She said inquiringly.

"Er…" How was he supposed to answer that? _'Your sister doesn't want to talk to you because I love you.'_ No, he had to think of something.

"It's alright; I know she doesn't like me that much. I'm her little sister by almost 500 years; she's not supposed to like me."

"We got in a fight last night, Arya and me." He looked up from his feet into her eyes. "About you."

Aiedail cocked one eyebrow. "You were arguing about me?"

"Yes. She was angry because I love you. I suppose she thinks she loves me and didn't want to hear the truth. I don't know anymore, I feel like everything is constantly changing ever since I arrived in Du Weldenvarden. First falling in love with you, then finding out Arya loves me, and now I find out Ira knew my mother. Well, well enough to miss her deeply. In addition, Saphira told me she's afraid of being lonely! Nothing is the same anymore; I don't know how to act about it." He sat down and buried his face in his hands.

Aiedail wrapped a comforting hand around his shoulder. "Change is part of life. Without it, life would not exist. What if my ancestors had decided lit best not to move from our dying home world out of fear of change? What if the first Eragon hadn't stopped the war, afraid of what new threats would arise? What if the gods had never created us, out of fear that we may change the perfect world they created? Change is necessary, and will continue to happen whether we will it or not."

Eragon sighed deeply. What Aiedail said was true, change was a necessary part of life, but did it have to be so constant?

"I love you. More than you may know. More than I have ever loved anyone. That is why I gave you the Mithrandil. That, and because we have yawe, or a bond of trust."

Eragon looked up at her, and saw a single tear falling down her cheek. She hated to see him hurt, but he didn't know why she shed a tear. He stroked it off her cheek with his thumb, caressing her soft ivory skin. She smiled and leaned into his hand.

"You should get back to your lessons. I do believe a friend of yours has arrived here, though his name I do not know. Perhaps my aunt could tell you where he is."

Eragon nodded, and then placed a small kiss on her forehead before walking out of the pagoda. He couldn't help but think of Murtagh when she had mentioned that one of friends had arrived. Murtagh had stayed behind because Nasuada had asked him to, and he knew why Murtagh had said yes, though when he asked him, Murtagh only denied it. He had told Eragon that he would catch up to him later on. He couldn't wait to find out.

AN: How did you like it? I know there was a lot of LOTR, so don't complain to me about it because I thought it was sweet.


	7. Chapter 7

AN:Thanx for the reviews! Ya'll are so sweet and you keep me going!

Max: Thank you very much. I particularly like this one too.

Daydreamin' Angel: Wow, you sound like me when I want an update...Hehe, it feels so good to be appreciated. Oh, and a POV stands for Point of View, so if I say: Aiedail's POV, it means it's what she's thinking and what she's seeing.

Raven The Black Rose: Yes, it is very cute. I had people say it was too much LOTR, but I didn't care.

Yuyogopoopy: I can't remember whether you reviewed the last chapter or not, it's been awhile since I got your review. Well, thanks for reviewing.

Ok, on with the story...

Chapter 7

The Final Battle

Eragon found himself standing in front of the Queen's personal library awaiting entrance by the guard, who had kept him here for the past five minutes.

"I don't understand why I can't go in. All I need to do is ask her something!" He tried to keep his voice down, but he was so aggravated. Was he not an ally? Why would he possibly want to harm Izlanzadi in any way?

"You must wait." That was all the guard would mutter.

_I can't believe this._He shouted to Saphira.

_Patience, little one. I'm sure there is a good reason for her security._

"There better be." He mumbled to himself.

Eragon stood before the guard for ten more minutes, but then his legs began to hurt, so he sat down on a nearby bench. He intended to be the first person the Queen saw when she stepped out that door. So he waited. And waited, and waited, and waited. He was holding his head in his hands when he finally heard the door open.

Izlanzadi emerged from the door followed by three heavily armed guards. Her appearance was weary, as if she had just heard terrible news. She had made the same face when she had heard of Brom's death. When she became aware of his presence, her expression lightened, but not a lot.

"Eragon! How long have you been out here?"

"Hm, I don't know, two, maybe three hours?" He turned to the guard. "What would you say?"

The guard ignored him and continued to stare forward.

"My goodness, why did you tell me?" The question was directed to the guard, who just opened his mouth as if he was going to talk.

"I, er, uh, I…" He could not get the words out.

"Well, you could've at least told me that I had a visitor!" She turned back to Eragon. "Now, what is it you wish to speak to me about?"

"Well, Aiedail said that one of my friends had arrived and that you would know more about it." He scratched the back of his neck with his left hand and stared at the floor.

"Oh, yes. Your friend, I do believe he went by Murtagh, is in one of our guest rooms. We did not want to interrupt your lessons. Ira would not be pleased." She said the last sentence as though she were speaking to herself.

"So Murtagh is here then?"

"Yes. One of my handmaidens will take you to his room." She signaled for one of three handmaidens to come forth.

"Right this way, Shur'tugal."

The young handmaiden led Eragon down a long, narrow corridor with lanterns hanging on the walls and hanging from the ceiling. Paintings were on the walls and depicted violence and slaughter. They seemed out of place.

"What are these paintings on the walls?" He asked, stopping in front of one with a particularly gruesome battle.

"They depict our past. The ones down this corridor tell the story of our war with the dragons. The one you are looking at is the battle with Eragon and Bid'Daum. This was the final battle where they brought peace between our two races. See? There they are." She pointed up to a dragon flying in the sky with one rider.

"So this is the last battle?" He meant it more as a statement than a question.

"Yes. This is the end of the war we so deeply regret. We have this painting down every hall as to remind us of mistakes once made, and prevent us from repeating them."

They gazed at the picture a few moments more before the handmaiden said, "We should get going."

The woman looked at each door down that hall, contemplating whether it was Murtagh's room or not. This worried Eragon. He did not want to knock on some stranger's door at this time of night. Although it was not terribly late, he reckoned that most everybody was in bed and relaxing.

"Ah, here it is."

Eragon turned towards the elf, who was standing beside a door. He took it as his queue to knock. Behind the door was a loud crashing noise, some grunts, cursing, and then the door opened.

"Nasuada?" Eragon was thoroughly confused. Why had Nasuada said she was Murtagh and why did the Queen say a man had come?

"Yeah, Murtagh is inside. He just cut his foot trying to get to the door."

Eragon peered over Nasuada's shoulder. Sure enough, Murtagh was sitting on the floor holding his foot, red blood dripping through his fingers.

"Hey." He said curtly.

Eragon waved back.

"Why did you come? I thought you were going to take over Aji-."He stopped. Ajihad was still a delicate subject for her; at least it was when he left. After all, he was her father, though the resemblance was not there.

"Oh, I gave the spot up. It didn't seem like the right thing for me. I don't think it's what my father wanted. He would've rather had you take his place." She looked down at her feet.

"Hey! Before I bleed out, can you maybe, oh, I don't know, heal me?" Murtagh screamed the last part, making Nasuada choke down a laugh.

"Oh, right. Of course." Eragon made his way past Nasuada into their little room. He knelt beside his old friend and held out his right hand.

"Waíse heill!" His palm began to glow and the cut on Murtagh's foot disappeared instantly.

"Thanks."

Eragon got up first, and then extended a hand to help pull his friend up. In the process, the Mithrandil slipped out from underneath his tunic, causing Murtagh to look at it in wonder.

"Where did you get that?" He asked, eyeing the crystal with some interest.

"A friend gave it to me, so that I could protect it."

Murtagh looked at him suspiciously.

"A friend?"

"Yes."

"You sure? Because if you ask what I think, I say some lady-friend has an infatuation with you." He gave Eragon this look that could only mean that he knew the entire story. Well, at least the part about a woman giving it to him.

"Positive." He gave Murtagh the same look, inquiring about Nasuada's presence.

"We'll talk later."

"Of course."

Nasuada looked from one to the other with a confused expression.

"I'm not even going to ask, because I know the two of you won't tell me, so I will just go to sleep. Night." She said, kissing Murtagh.

After she had retreated into her, or their, bedroom, Eragon turned back to Murtagh, whose face was bright red. Eragon couldn't help but laugh.

"Shut up." Murtagh mumbled. He sat down in a nearby chair and rubbed his face with his hands while yawning.

"So, what have you been up to?"

"You know, training, sleeping, eating. Nothing important." Eragon said, taking a seat across from him.

"So who's the lady-friend?"

The question surprised Eragon. Well, Murtagh was like a brother to him, it was only natural that he ask.

"Her name's Aiedail. She is Arya's younger sister."

Murtagh nodded. "What about Arya?How's itgoingwith you two?"

That was even more surprising. Eragon did not expect Murtagh to notice Arya's feelings for him.

"It's not. We got into an argument over Aiedail yesterday and we haven't spoken since."

"She'll get over it." He said, looking out a window into the night sky.

"I hope so."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes. There was really nothing to talk about. Eragon could ask him about Nasuada, but it was late, and he had a feeling it was a long story.

"Well, we should get some rest. I don't want to be blamed for you missing a lesson." Murtagh stood up and held out his hand at Eragon.

Eragon stood up also, but instead of taking his hand, he hugged him. Murtagh showed him the way out and soon Eragon found himself outside the palace walls.

_Was it Murtagh?_

_Yeah, and Nasuada._

_Why did Nasuada come?_

_I don't know. Tomorrow I'll need you with me when I have lessons with Ira. He's going to teach me how to fight on your back._

_Alright. Goodnight little one._

_Night._ He broke the link and continued on his way to the house.

The next morning went by rather uneventfully. He ate breakfast with Murtagh, and then introduced him to Aiedail. When Ira's lessons came around, Eragon found himself racing against time. Saphira was nearly there, and Ira was almost surely there, waiting for him. If there was anything Eragon knew, it was that Ira had the temper of an angry shade. He had no tolerance for tardiness, which was what Eragon was afraid of. The fear was both pushing him forward and pulling him back.

He weaved around trees and elves alike, begging the gods not to make him late. Eragon was nearing the clearing quickly. If he was lucky, he could make it just a minute late. He pushed himself harder, he could already hear Ira's lecture. He more of stumbled into the clearing than ran, for her had lost his footing on a moss-covered rock. Cursing, he stood up, rubbing the dirt off his knees.

"I'm really sorry, breakfast took longer than I thou-." He stopped when he noticed that, aside from Saphira, he was all alone. Ira was nowhere to be seen.

_Saphira, fly above and see if you can spot him anywhere._

_There are too many trees, little one. Besides, I'm sure he's fine._

_I'm not._ Saphira didn't know Ira like Eragon did. He was **NEVER **late, ever.

There was only really one thing he could do. Wait. Ira would show up eventually, as Eragon very well knew. How long eventually was, was a different story, however. He took a seat on a nearby tree-stump. He might as well get comfortable while he waited.

He played Tic-Tac-Toe in the dirt with Saphira. He practiced with Zar'roc on a tree, much to Saphira's disliking. Hour after hour passed with still no sign of Ira and Saphira was beginning to worry almost as much as Eragon himself was. Sighing, he brought himself up from his seat on the earthen floor. He had made up his mind.

_Little one, where do you think you are going? _Saphira's melodic voice filled his mind.

_I think you know perfectly well where._

_No, I am afraid you did quite a handy job of blocking your thoughts from even me as you sat there. Now, I will ask again; Where are you going?_

_To look for him, of course, I thought you, knowing me better than anyone else, would have figured that out._

_I already did, though I hoped it would not be so._

_Well, it is. I figured the first place I would check would be the surrounding area, then work my way back to Ellesmera. What do you think?_

_I think it is a sound plan for now. What would you have me do?_

_Fly back and ask Aiedail if she has seen him as of late. _Feeling a twinge of guilt from being so demanding, he added,_ Please._

_As you wish._

Her mighty wings beat downwards as her feet pushed off the ground and ever closer to the heavens. Eragon watched until the tip of her long sapphire tail was no longer visible, then commenced in his search to find his teacher.

Later, he found that the forest was clear. No sign of Ira anywhere, not even a footprint. He had gotten as far as to where he could hear the faint roar of a waterfall, and would have looked there if it had not been for the sun's slow descent from the sky. For some strange reason, he felt as though something terrible had happened there.

Eragon had barely made it back to the hidden city before it had grown completely black. He could see three figures, instead of the usual two, standing by the gate.

He recognized almost immediately the form of Aiedail. From the looks of it, she had noticed his presence too, for she was now sprinting toward him at a brisk pace. She didn't slow as she drew closer to him, but rather leapt into his arms with such force that she almost knocked him over.

"Aiedail, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Saphira told me what happened and, and Arya went out to go search for Ira on the other side of the forest. And when, when she came ba…back, she…she…" Aiedail was sobbing so hard she couldn't finish her sentence.

"Aiedail, you need to tell me what happened." Said Eragon, trying to calm her down.

"Arya's…she's…gone."

"What do you mean by 'gone'?" Dread filled his heart. He hoped that what he thought she meant was not the truth.

"Arya's dead, Eragon."

AN: HAHAHAHA DEADLY CLIFFHANGER! Wow, ya'll are almost caught up with the other site...hm. Not good. Review please! Oh, and whatever you do, don't ask how she died, because you'll find out later.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Thanx for the reviews, they inspire me so much, even to just keep writing. For all of you that think that she's not really dead, guess again. She's gone, forever and ever. I'm so terrible sometimes.

Blackhawk12340: I'm glad you like it. I'm really, _really _trying hard not to make it too mushy, but I'm just a hopeless romantic. If you're looking for something more...idk what else you would be looking for by reading romance fics, but hey, I'm glad you chose to read it, and I'm glad you liked it.

Raven The Black Rose: I'm sorry, but I can't help you out. I haven't even figured out exactly how she died yet, so yeah. LOL. I have a general idea, and I know who killed her, so maybe I'll think of something when I start reading Eldest. Trust me, while I was writing the tic-tac-toe line, I got a mental image of her, and I almost fell out of my chair laughing. The Murtagh butt thing would be funny tho...hehe.

daydreamin' angel: Yes, she's dead. Gone forever, lost in the spirit realm. How sad, eh? Ok, her name is spelled Aiedail. It means Morning Star in the Ancient Language, if you check the guide in the back.

Now, on with the story.

Chapter 8

Gone Forever

_Dead._ The word echoed through his head. It wasn't possible. How could she be gone, forever? No, it couldn't be. They were mistaken. Tears formed in his eyes as he stood there, motionless. Flashbacks from when he had first seen Arya, in that dream. The crying maiden he was holding brought him back to reality.

"I took her for granted, I didn't say sorry for all the fights we had, I was a terrible sister." Aiedail sobbed, her voice muffled by Eragon's shoulder.

"Can I see her?"

All she could do was nod and began walking back towards the elven city of Ellesmera. They walked through the empty streets towards the healers building. Eragon couldn't help but converse with a solemn Saphira on the way.

_It's just hard to believe. When I heard Aiedail say that she was gone, I thought it was a joke that the three of us would laugh about in the tavern later, but now I know it is real._

_It would have happened eventually. Death is inescapable, whether you are immortal or mortal._

_But why today? Why not in a couple hundred years?_

_The best answer I can give you is that it was her time to go._

_No it wasn't. She didn't deserve death._

_I don't know what you want me to say Eragon! I'm not a god, I don't make decisions! I'm trying to console you but you won't let me! She's dead and there is nothing you can do. Please tell me you do remember Brom telling you not to try bringing back the dead?_

_Yes, I do. I just don't want it to be true._

_Well, it is. I'm sorry to say it, but it is. You need to accept it if you are ever going to be able to say goodbye._

_That's just it, Saphira! I can't say goodbye! I didn't even apologize for yelling at her the other day. In fact, I didn't even look at her. She died thinking I hated her._

_Well, what did you feel about her?_

_I just don't know anymore!_ Emotions swirled around in Eragon's head. Why now? Of all the times, why did she have to die now?

"She's inside." Aiedail stopped in front of a door.

"Aren't you going to see her?" Eragon looked at her.

"I…I can't. I don't…I don't want to look at her. Knowing that she's dead is bad enough, but watching her lie there will be too much for me, at least with her death being so fresh."

"Are you sure? I'll be with you, and if it becomes too much, then you can leave."

"No, no, I don't want to. Not now."

"Alright, if you're sure."

"I'm positive."

"Okay then." He said, taking a deep breath. His unsteady hand met the knob on the door, turning it ever so slowly. The room inside was cold and had an eerie feel to it. Lying on the bed was the deceased form of Arya. She looked paler than usual. He strode over to the side of the bed.

"Arya, I'm so sorry, for everything. I shouldn't have yelled at you the other day and I should have apologized right afterwards, not waited." He found himself choking back the floods of tears that so desperately wanted to fall. He put a hand down to stroke a strand of hair from her face. Her skin was cold, lifeless. It was true, she was dead.

_Eragon…I love you._ The voice was but a whisper inside his head, but he knew it was her spirit, lingering still. A gust of cold wind blew over him, then subsided.

_Arya!_ But there was no reply. She was gone now, resting in the spirit realm.

"I miss you." He whispered before turning around and leaving the room.

"Let's go home." He said, not looking Aiedail in the face. He was afraid he would find a resemblance in her face and that it would tear him up inside.

AN: Wow, what did you think? Now you have to wait for me to finish the next chapter. I expect 6 reviews at the least, that'll really get me going. 128 reviews on the other site, and a very pathetic amount on this one. Oh well, I like all my reviewers anyway.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: UPDATE! WOOT WOOT! LOL.

Beast Boy's GF: Here you go, just for you SINCE NO ONE ELSE BOTHERED TO REVIEW!

"No!" Eragon sat erect in bed, sweating beading on his forehead. His heart was pounding through his chest and his breathing was labored.

It had been one month since Arya's death and her memory still haunted his every action, increasingly in the past two days. Perhaps it was that her funeral was rapidly approaching, today in fact. He took a deep breath before lying back down. When would see leave him alone? Some days he would be able to go all day without so much as a cold breeze, and other days everything he would see her leaping through the Menoa branches. He always expected to wake up and have it all be one horrible nightmare, but every morning he awoke to the same realization. She's gone.

A lone bird chirped outside his open window, perched in the giant Menoa tree's branches. Its song had a solemn tone and made him think more of the elf that enchanted his dreams.

i Once Arya's funeral is over, maybe I can get some rest. /i He thought happily. He did miss Arya, but her bugging him every second of the day was quite annoying.

He stared at the ceiling for the next hour or so until sun rays began to beam through the evergreen leaves.

Aiedail's POV

Aiedail, still in her nightgown, silently walked towards Eragon's room, where she knew he would be lying in bed awake. Lately she really worried about him. She could hear him scream at night and knew it was because of her sister. She feared that he was slowly slipping into insanity, so did Saphira. She stopped quietly in front of the door, listening to his deep breathing through it. She hesitantly lifted a hand up to knock, then stopped. What if he got angry for her disturbing him? No, this was Eragon she was talking about, he wouldn't be angry for that. Or would he?

The more she thought, the more reasons she found to knock. He could be seriously upset and wanting to talk to someone. Every night for a month, he had awoken in the middle of the night screaming. Her knuckles lightly tapped on the door.

"Eragon? I know you are awake. Can I come in?" Her voice was shakier than it usually was. She hadn't spoken to the man in a week, so she supposed she would be more cheerful, but her heart was filled with dread.

Eragon's POV

He remained silent, hoping that she would abandon him to another more worthy cause. He didn't know if he could bear to have her see him like this.

"Eragon? We need to talk, about everything. Please?"

Still he remained silent.

"Eragon, please?" Her voice was strained, as if she was trying hard not to cry. When he did not answer, he could hear her collapse beside the door and begin to cry. He wanted to go out and comfort her. After all, he had only lost a friend, yet she had lost a sister. But he couldn't let her see him like this. It would break her heart.

"I know you miss Arya, and Ira still gone must be stressful as well, but please. Talk to me. I…I feel like I don't know you anymore. You don't have to come out, just please, say something. Anything. Even just a hello would suffice. I need to know that you're all right. "

How could he live with himself if he kept this up? He loved her, and he hated to see her cry. Lately, he hadn't been seeing her at all, and for good cause.

Aiedail's POV

This was the first real cry she had had since her sister's death. Don't get it wrong, she had cried, but not like this. She was baring her heart and soul to the man that resided behind that door, but he did not listen. For all she knew, he could be asleep, or could already have left for lessons. She had just really hoped to see him, or even just hear his voice. She slowly rose off the floor, hunger grabbing at her stomach. She decided to make one more futile attempt at getting Eragon to talk, if he was even listening. She raised her hand up to the door again.

Instead of her knocking and begging for him to say anything, the door opened just as she was about to tap her knuckles on the wood. A rather disheveled looking Eragon emerged from behind, with big bags under his eyes from the loss of sleep.

"Eragon!" She exclaimed, flinging herself into his arms. She stood in his embrace, welcoming the familiar warmth of the man she loved. She could have melted right then and there, if he had not pulled away after the long awaited hug.

She looked up at his face, noticing that he had not yet shaven, for he had stubble all across his jaw. His eyes were sad, weary even, and his face was paler than normal.

"Gods, you look as though you've risen from the dead!" She whispered, afraid he would disappear right in front of her.

"I'm alright." He chuckled softly at her reaction to his thug look.

"Oh, I missed you." She whispered, burying her head into his tunic.

He stroked her soft raven hair with one hand, feeling as though it was the first time. Then he brought her face up to meet his gaze before whispering back to her.

"I missed you too." He stated very softly before pressing his lips against hers.

He felt her hand go up to the back of his neck, pulling him closer. They hadn't kissed like this since, well, probably the first time in that clearing. _The time I pulled away,_ He reminded himself. He wouldn't pull away this time. He felt like he had to do something to show her just how much he had longed for the kiss while he sat in his room. Eragon knew she already knew that he loved her, but he wanted to prove it. The truth was, however, that when it came to love, he wasn't very skilled. In Carvahall, not too many girls had ever been infatuated with him, nor had he been with them. They always saw him as the "hermit's son", unlike Roran. Roran was always very, forward with the girls before he met Katrina, and then he had stuck solely to her. The thought of Roran saddened him, so he discarded the thought quickly. Just as he was about to deepen the kiss just a tad bit farther, she pulled away. He gave her an inquiring look.

"I'm keeping you from your lessons." She said with a small chuckle.

"It's alright." She looked stunned.

"No! No, it's not! You have to complete your training, or else you won't…" She stopped as her eyes went wide, realizing what she was about to say.

"Won't what?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." She said quickly.

"No, really? What were you going to say?"

"I said it was nothing." Her voice squeaked as she said nothing.

"Tell me."

"No."

"I'll make you."

"No you won't."

"Yes." He chuckled. "Yes I will."

"Don't. You. Dare." She held up a finger.

"Oh, I will." He said.

At that, he flew towards her and threw her over his shoulder before she could react. All the while, she screamed in protest.

"NO! STOP!" She giggled, her legs and arms flailing around wildly.

"Tell me!" He yelled, trying his best to dodge her kicks.

"NO!" He didn't dodge a kick. Aiedail went crashing to the floor a few feet from Eragon, who looked like he was in excruciating pain.

"Oh no, where did I hit you?" She rushed over to his side, inspecting his face and arms for bruises or injuries of any kind. "You look fine."

He grabbed her hand, placing it on his crotch. She immediately pulled away, revolted that he could think of _that_ while supposedly being hurt. And then she realized where she had kicked.

"Oh my gods!" She said, clasping her hands over her mouth. "I'm so sorry!" She placed a kiss on his cheek. "I didn't know!" Another one. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's…okay." He gasped.

"No no no it's not okay. I shouldn't have kicked you. You were just messing around." She stopped talking and furrowed her brow. "Let's get you up." She grabbed his arm and swung it over hers, bracing his weight on her. He was surprising light, though most likely because of missed meals.

After helping him into the kitchen and getting him ice, they had talked for a little while, mostly about the happenings of the world outside their little romance. It all seemed so hectic. There was still no sign Ira, no leads as to where he could possibly be either. The Varden had also discovered the location of a second dragon egg, possibly even more than one. They had wanted Eragon to lead the search, but Izlanzadi had informed them of his 'condition' and they had put off the raid.

"Well, I suppose I could do it now. I mean, it's not like I've gone crazy or anything." i Not yet. /i He added to himself, unaware that Saphira was listening.

_Not yet what?_

_Oh, I haven't gone crazy yet._

_Eragon…I know everything that happens at night. I know about your nightmares._ He grimaced as the images flowed back through his mind.

xXxDREAMxXx

_Roran sat in Therinsford at his cabin, given to him by Dempton, opening a letter. It read:_

_Roran,_

_I have some bad news for you. It's about your father. He, well, he's dead, Roran. Murdered by some strange travelers. Eragon witnessed it. At least, we think he did, he was beat up, his legs ripped to shreds and he was acting pretty crazy, like he was hiding something. There's one other thing: we found footprints, large footprints, near your trampled house. Eragon won't say a thing about it, but we think he knows what did it. We haven't pushed because of his state, but he's getting better and has accepted everything, so tonight we may push a little farther. Well, I just wanted to let you know what was going on. We've already buried your father, so anytime you want to come by, we'll be here and we'll take you to see him._

_So sorry for your loss,_

_Horst_

_Roran would begin crying, and all Eragon wanted to do was go comfort him, but he just stood there, numb. Then Roran would look up at Eragon with fiery and the setting would change. Now, they were in a gigantic throne room. i Galbatorix's /i throne room. Saphira stood behind Eragon, a mysterious red one behind Roran. They fought vigorously, Roran trying to kill his cousin, Eragon just trying to stay alive. Saphira and the red dragon were locked in a heated battle as well. But that wasn't what disgusted him. After a while of battling, Eragon accidentally swung a strange blue sword too close to Roran, beheading his former best friend. Just as he beheaded Roran, the red dragon took a fatal bite at Saphira's neck, killing her instantly. Then, he would see Arya's image, cackling at the sight of a broken Eragon. She no longer loved him, but loathed him._

It was then that he would awaken, screaming and sobbing, a sweat-covered figure in the night.

_I'm not going to die, Eragon. At least not yet. You can set aside your worries for now._ Saphira's voice should have been comforting, but it wasn't.

AN: Did that suffice? Another update soon, I promise.


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